| WMOB: The Wiretap Network Yet more evidence to support the claim that reality is way more bizarre, funny, and downright entertaining than fiction. The Smoking Gun got their hands on some phone conversations between aging mobsters Frederico "Fritzy" Giovanelli and Frank "Frankie California" Condo. This week the boys tackle the tricky question of yogurt: FRANK:"Brown Cow with the thick crust on top and you mix the crust, that's the, the bacteria. You mix that all in there." FRITZY: "Yeah?" FRANK: "Brown Cow. That's what all the health fiends eat. Brown Cow." FRITZY: "Well, I'm gonna, I'm gonna have that a couple of days a week." |
| Conelrad In 1951, President Truman established the CONELRAD [CONtrol of ELectronic RADiation] broadcast system in case of an atomic emergency. These days, CONELRAD is something completely different -- a site "devoted to ATOMIC CULTURE past and present but without all the distracting and pedantic polemics." This fascinating look at a sobering subject includes dozens of Real Audio clips with advice on what to do when bombs fall; the CONELRAD 100, a list for the atomic-film connoisseurs that features titles like Atom Age Vampire and Day the Earth Stood Still; and Atomic Platters, a sampling of music that celebrates, satirizes, or laments the atomic age. It's an eerie and electrifying slice of postwar atomic culture. |
| Did You Bring Bottles? "Supermarkets are one of the most important and overlooked elements of American life," says David Gwynn, creator of this site. Gwynn carefully, lovingly, somewhat obsessively examines supermarket history and architecture, particularly that of Safeways in San Francisco. Gwynn's fascination with supermarkets began in childhood at the store where his family returned glass soda bottles each week (hence the site's name). From the tiny urban grocery stores of the 1920s to the Safeway "Marina" prototype of the 1960s to the giant mega-markets of today, this site traces the evolution of both the supermarket industry and the way Americans buy their food. |
| GI Photo Joe PhotoShop wizard Eric Shindelbower presents a collection of World War II photographs that we promise you've never seen before. Through hard work and a little digital wizardry, your host has seamlessly inserted America's favorite plastic GI into actual war photographs, kind of like Saving Private Ryan meets Toy Story. The Forrest Gump effect works quite well, and Mr. Shindelbower is gracious enough to share the tricks of his trade. Author disclaimer: "This technique produces images that are not intended to disrespect or make light of the soldiers and photographers that served in World War II." |
| craftygal Taking a page from the venerable doyenne (or diva) of domesticity, Ms. Martha Stewart, the crafty gals at this monthly advice hub offer up ingenious household tips, tricks, and activities to spur the feminine creative goddess within. Breaking up the chatty coffeetable-esque musings and reportage into features -- scraps, fridge, porch, table, stump, and travels -- the writers share a practical, fun, and somewhat kitschy approach to living the good life. With the handy-dandy archive of musings past, getting crafty should not be a problem. |
| Android World Right now, dozens of lab groups, tech companies, and inspired amateurs are hard at work building robots that look, act, and think like humans. No one questions the fact that they have a long way to go, but the results so far are pretty interesting. Chris Willis' no-nonsense Android World keep tabs on various ongoing projects, and provides plenty of background resources for folks curious about androids. Featured sections include the world's greatest android projects, including Honda's little buddy Asimo, and a special area devoted to Animatronic Heads, featuring MIT's groundbreaking Kismet project. |
| Guardian Unlimited Books: Top 10s Readers around the world will delight in this distinctly British-flavored collection of book recommendations from authors, editors, and prominent individuals in the arts and sciences. We found intriguing variations on the usual "top 10" themes, such as Mariella Frostrup's most likely to impress me on a potential paramour's shelves, a timely list of sci-fi comedies, great reads from South African authors (selected by the daughter of two antiapartheid activists), and an appetite-whetting selection of slim volumes, relationship novels, fluid fiction, science books, and music biographies. It's a tasty template for your summer reading pleasure. |
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| · | Daily - a fresh pick, every day. |
| · | Weekly - a seven-day roundup. |
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